I think a big part of the Bruin's struggles this year is exactly what this article talks about, the changing of the game. Problem is, we didn't play an enforcer type game, yet we changed anyways.
The Bruin's we've all grown to love over the past several seasons, the one's that won a cup in 2011 and have competed hard finishing first just last season and making the final only 2 years ago, are pretty much gone now.
These Bruins may not have had the BIGGEST or most BADASS fighters in the league, but we had willing combatants who would play with snarl and would stick up for each other. With guys like Thornton, Lucic, Chara, Horton, Iginla, McQuaid, Boychuk, Ference, Campbell all ready to go at the drop of a dime or first sign of other teams taking liberties with our players, our players would rally around this type of play and their on ice performance would get a sudden jolt of adrenaline and a much needed offensive boost going forward. We cared. They gave a damn about each other. They defended each other. They played hard for each other and that compete factor saw them win and win a lot.
Ever since the loss to Montreal last season, these players have quit. Our management went in a different direction to keep up with the changing landscape of the NHL. You lose Thornton, Boychuk and Iginla in one foul swoop of an off season. Your GM and coach preach of becoming a less physical and more finesse team. Sadly the rest of our roster lacks the skill or speed to play this kind of game. In addition the remaining hard nosed, "tough guy" players we have see their game change completely with the philosophy of the team. Lucic is a former shell of himself. Chara is nowhere to be seen in scrums. McQuaid tries but his efforts go unnoticed. We watch every night as our few young players with talent get pushed around (Spooner last night) while nothing is said or done by anyone (give Marchand credit for trying from time to time).
The days of the enforcer may be over, but the Bruin's were never an enforcer team over the past 7-8 years. We were a tough team with players who could play and fight. We were the ideal combination of both aspects of the game and we could beat opponents on the scoreboard and literally. We played what we coined as "Bruins hockey". This worked for many years. For some reason management thought it was time to mold our team around the likes of Montreal & Detroit, and find success with skill and finesse and win tight games in OT and the skill competition known as a shootout. We've all seen how that has worked for us.
As hard as I am on the coaching (which has been all but brutal this year) the management of this team has been atrocious. They took a winning formula, poured it down the drain and have now taken some milk, salt, honey, vodka and coconut water, mixed it all together, added some ice and hoped this new magic potion would make us a winner again. Unfortunately our new on ice product, looks terrible, has no consistency, burns at times and is absolutely dreadful to watch. there is no kick, no punch, no snarl and half the players look drunk.
A changing NHL landscape has seen finesse and skilled teams flourish, but there is still a place in this game for big timely hits, for sticking up for a teammate, and for playing with a chip on your shoulder. Sadly our Bruins cannot and have not played with either this season and it's why we will soon see ourselves on the outside looking in.
